Question

Marlena transferred from one unit in state government to a smaller unit consisting of four team members. She took her vacation immediately after her transfer was announced. The agency lease is set to expire in June 2020. However, the landlord requested Marlena's company move to their new location in July 2019. On her first day back from vacation, Marlena learned that her office cubicle had been dismantled and she was moved into a conference room to share with ten additional coworkers.
Two of the coworkers talk incessantly and one plays music on his cell phone. Marlena is frustrated and makes a complaint to her new supervisor, Bill, requesting to be moved immediately. According to Marlena, no notification was sent explaining this new move or the potential disruption in workspace. Bill is unsure on how to respond since he is unaware of prior communication with Marlena and her previous supervisor as he just returned from vacation himself.
Should Bill involve senior staff in his decision? Choose all that apply.

Select one or more:

a. Yes, Bill should inform the director of the company.

b. Yes, Bill should find out from Marlena's previous supervisor if it is appropriate to move Marlena.

c. Yes, Bill should consult other team members transitioning the conference room.

d. No, Bill has the information to make the decision on his own.

Question text

Bill is a deputy director for a public-sector employer, overseeing approximately 200 employees. He has been with the company for 30 years. One of Bill’s managers, Irene is having difficulty with an employee, Danny, a white male in his 30s.

Irene is also white.

Danny has been saying inappropriate things to his all-female team about their clothing. Bill is also white. The female coworkers are Hispanic and African-American. Bill tells Irene to handle it. Irene attempts to, but is looking to Bill for guidance. Bill says that he is uncomfortable and instructs Irene to handle it, again. In the meantime, the coworkers continue to feel harassed by Danny and his use of offensive language.

What could benefit this team? Choose all that apply.

Select one:

a. More diversity with regard to race and gender

b. E-learning modules with respect to the appropriate conduct in the workplace

c. Terminating Danny for his inappropriate behavior, if his behavior violates the human resources policy

d. All of the above

Bill is a deputy director for a public-sector employer, overseeing approximately 200 employees. He has been with the company for 30 years. One of Bill’s managers, Irene is having difficulty with an employee, Danny, a white male in his 30s.

Irene is also white.

Danny has been saying inappropriate things to his all-female team about their clothing. Bill is also white. The female coworkers are Hispanic and African-American. Bill tells Irene to handle it. Irene attempts to, but is looking to Bill for guidance. Bill says that he is uncomfortable and instructs Irene to handle it, again. In the meantime, the coworkers continue to feel harassed by Danny and his use of offensive language.

What guidance should Bill be providing to Irene? Choose all that apply.

Select one:

a. Skills to deal with Danny

b. Support for the team

c. Nothing, Irene needs to handle this herself

d. Nothing, the employees are too sensitive

Question text

Kane was accepted into the study abroad program at Boston University for the fall semester and has to leave her home in Japan by mid-August. Kane was honored to be accepted into the program, but nervous about traveling to Boston as she has never left Japan. On her way to her new apartment she stopped at the nearest grocery store for some dinner. When she jumped off the bus she noticed that there were people in front of the grocery store, but continued to walk by. They began screaming at Kane, yelling at her for shopping there and not supporting the workers. Kane was so upset by the situation and quickly purchased a few items and left crying. When she got to her apartment she quickly looked at the internet and realized that the workers were on strike, unhappy with their wages, and lacked support by the owners.

Which of the following options would indicate a barrier in communication?

Select one:

a. One of Kane's friends tries to explain the situation to her. However, based on her experience, Kane believes that all people in Boston are aggressive.

b. Kane feels that since she is from Japan, she knows more about fair wages and fair trade than the locals.

c. Both

d. Neither

Answer 1

Should bill involve senior staff in his decision? Choose all that apply

The answer is B and c options. It is imperative that Bill should find more information about Marlena to know her behavior and history at workplace. He cannot believe only on Marlena claims of disruptions caused by the coworkers. Viewpoints of Marlena previous supervisor can assist Bill to know better about Marlena’s personality. The second thing Bill should do is to consult other team members to know the actual situation of workplace environment at the conference room. They can provide insights about what is going on in the conference room. Their feedbacks and Marlena previous supervisor feedback can assist Bill to gauge the potential issues causing Marlena to not work at the assembly room. Bill can also know about people who create disturbance at workplace. He can take disciplinary actions or train them to work in a collaborative way.

What could benefit this team? Choose all that apply

The correct options are A and B. option A requires promoting diversity in terms of gender and race. With a balanced percentage of women and minority people, Danny who is a white person may not dominate them and he can also become familiar with different cultural practices. Ultimately, he may develop respects for women and minority people. Option B that suggests offering training to the employees regarding appropriate conduct can familiarize Danny what mistakes he commits at the workplace. Certainly, training regarding appropriate code of conduct can enhance his behavior towards women.

What guidance should Bill be providing to Irene? Choose all that apply

The options are A and B. the first option that says developing skills in Irene to handle the band behavior of Danny is justified because with good interpersonal and communication skills, Irene can persuade Danny to discontinue his improper behavior towards women. The second option is b that is offering support for the team. The support can be extended by empowering the Hispanics and African-American women. They should be communicated regularly about the initiatives being taken by the company to prevent harassment at workplace. They should also be provided channels to report such incident to the management team.

Which of the following options would indicate a barrier in communication?

The option is C. preoccupied thoughts held by a person act as a barrier in communication thus, Kane would not listen to her friend. Another barrier is stereotype thinking and halo effect that Kane demonstrates when she thinks that she knows well about fair wages. This kind of stereotype thinking and halo effect acts as a barrier. Thus the correct option is C.